Ok I have used pearl dust 3 times now trying to achieve that metallic look to my fondant decorations. Its not working! It has a very very very light shimmer but basically just enhanced color. I have dry dusted it on as well as using clear vanilla extract. I am new at this so Im not sure if I am doing something wrong or if anyone has any tips. Any help would be so appreciated! Thanks in advance!

one thing I realized is that whatever it is I am painting needs to start out in that basic color to really enhance the look- i.e. coloring fondant yellow-gold when you're going to paint it gold, and gray for anything silver. I'll be curious to see others tips too!

A lot of it is going to depend on what color you're using. Pearl White is naturally going to be much more subtle than, say, Gold or Bronze. The brand may also make a difference...I prefer CK's Luster Dust over Wilton or Sunflower brands, but that's probably just my little quirk.

Also, I've never tried clear vanilla for painting...I always use pure lemon extract or vodka. You might also increase the dust-to-alcohol ratio...add the lemon/vodka a few drops at a time to a teaspoon or so of powder and keep testing until you get the coverage you're looking for. (Don't worry about using too much powder--the stuff keeps forever and you can easily reconstitute it with more alcohol and use it up later.)

If you have an airbrush, metallic coloring is pretty foolproof, but that's not always practical/cost effective, and it's not always the most delicate approach.

And mbark is totally right...it's WAY easier to get gold from a red or yellow base than from white, same with silver/grey and bronze/brown.

Hope this helps....good luck!

Well what I did was on one cake I had green and yellow stars made out of that colored fondant and then used the Wilton Pearl Dust in green and gold. The next cake I did I had purple pink and blue decorations and also used purple pink and blue dust. I wonder if maybe the vodka will help also. I was worried about using too much powder as it seemed like such a small amount in the bottle but if it will keep then I wont be so afraid! Also, this may seem like an extremely silly question but if I were to use vodka could you taste it on the fondant if it were to be eaten?

If you want a true metallic gold or silver, use Highligher dust, not luster dust. I saw someone with a video online and she recommended the highlighter dust. I got mine from Lusterdust.com--it was the least expensive with a flat $6 shipping fee. The gold and silver are perfect! I used mine with clear Wilton vanilla extract and they both came out fine.